The clinicopathological and prognostic impact of 14-3-3 sigma expression on vulvar squamous cell carcinomas.
BACKGROUND
14-3-3 sigma promotes G2/M cell cycle arrest by sequestering cyclin B1-CDC2 complex in cytoplasm. Down-regulation of 14-3-3sigma, which has been demonstrated in various carcinomas, may contribute to malignant transformation. However, the exact role of 14-3-3sigma in the pathogenesis of vulvar carcinoma is not fully characterized, and the prognostic impact of 14-3-3sigma protein expression is still unknown.


METHODS
We investigated the 14-3-3sigma expression in a series of 302 vulvar squamous cell carcinomas using immunohistochemistry and its associations with clinicopathological factors and clinical outcome.


RESULTS
In cytoplasm, nucleus and cytoplasm/nucleus of vulvar carcinomas high 14-3-3sigma protein expression was found in 72%, 59% and 75% of the carcinomas, respectively, and low levels in 28%, 41% and 25% of the cases, respectively. High level of 14-3-3sigma in cytoplasm, nucleus and cytoplasm/nucleus was significantly correlated to large tumor diameter (p = 0.001, p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively) and deep invasion (p = 0.01, p = 0.001 and p = 0.007, respectively). Variations of 14-3-3sigma protein expression were not associated to disease-specific survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that 14-3-3sigma may be involved in the development of a subset of vulvar squamous cell carcinomas by down-regulation of 14-3-3sigma protein. Neither cytoplasmic nor nuclear level of 14-3-3sigma expression was associated with prognosis.
Wang
Zhihui
Z
Division of Pathology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. zhihui.wang@radiumhospitalet.no
Tropè
Claes G
CG
Suo
Zhenhe
Z
Trøen
Gunhild
G
Yang
Guanrui
G
Nesland
Jahn M
JM
Holm
Ruth
R
D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005092:Exonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005095:Exoribonucleases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014844:Vulva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005092:Exonucleases; D005095:Exoribonucleases; C413442:SFN protein, human